kingdom of nations

Chapter 261 César's Day in Bethlehem (Part 2)
Only after Haredi quietly left through the side door did Cesar notice that the sun was already high in the sky, and the temperature on the floor had become distinctly different depending on whether it was illuminated or not.

He glanced at the water clock beside him and realized it was almost time for a meal. He was just about to grab a piece of cheese to tide him over. He wasn't particularly concerned about his own meals, but when he was with Baldwin, he had to set a good example to prevent the man's already precarious health from deteriorating further.

But just as he took his first bite, someone came to report that Bishop Andrei had come to visit.

Bishop Andrei had served as Amalric I's representative, managing the small city for over a decade. This is why César decided from the outset not to interfere too much in Bethlehem's affairs. He believed that many people would be eager to see Amalric I's former retainers and Baldwin IV's close friend vying for power and making a spectacle of infighting.

Fortunately, Bishop Andrei was a shrewd man. He didn't rush to intimidate César; instead, he took the initiative to back down. It's always pleasant for two people who aren't fools to cooperate. Even though César spent most of his time at Fort Sainte-Croix and later went to Cyprus, leaving only Longinus as his representative in Bethlehem—Longinus naturally used this as a pretext to remain silent on many important matters—everyone knew that César's future was far more than that, and his territory would certainly not be limited to Bethlehem.

Longinus was to go to the battlefield with Cesare, but Cesare did not take the opportunity to install a new person. Instead, he handed over the selection of a substitute to Bishop Andrei.

Bishop Andrei was certainly not foolish enough to take other people's kindness for granted.

In return, he brought Cesar money from Bethlehem's taxes, tributes, and certificates, which undoubtedly belonged to the local lord, but the extra portion must have been Bishop Andre's share of the money.

He even mentioned his properties in Bethlehem. The bishop promised that when he went to see God, he would leave a will, or before he died, he would transfer all of these properties to Cesare.

César was greatly surprised, after all, Bishop Andrei had a nephew, and the bishop valued him highly, regarding him as his successor.

"He has already acquired all my properties in Frankish territory, and he won't be staying here. After this expedition, he's going back home to get married. You know who his wife is, don't you?"

Cesar nodded. "Damara of Gerard, a respectable lady, and very brave."

"You may know that my nephew once heard about the oath you took to Gerald's Damara, but after Amalric I's death, Damara released you from the oath, which he greatly regretted."

"Pity?"

"Yes, a knight of your high moral character, distinguished military achievements, and handsome appearance is the ideal and role model for almost all young people. They trust and admire you no less than King Baldwin IV of Arathi Basin."
He had already heard about you while he was still in his castle, and after meeting you, he was filled with even greater admiration. It's just a pity that he didn't have many opportunities to interact with you.

He also told me that he hoped he and Damara could receive your blessing when they got married here.

Cesar was somewhat surprised, then smiled and said, "That would be my honor. If possible, I would be happy to be their witness."

Bishop Andrei immediately clapped his hands, "That would be perfect!"

“But your businesses… even if you can’t manage them here yourself, you can find an agent—the profits earned here can still be sent back to Frank.”

Bishop Andrei simply shook his head. “My nephew is also a devout young man. He even discussed with me that he would donate all his property here, along with his bounty (from the tournament and the battlefield), to a certain knightly order—the Temple, the Charity Hall, or the Holy Sepulchre.”

"You have no intention of making him a knight here? If you would like, I will recommend him to Baldwin."

Bishop Andrei glanced at him but did not answer. In fact, what the bishop was thinking was that Baldwin IV was not going to live long, and the marriage between Abigail and Hibil was clearly not going to produce a good result. He did not know who would get the Knights of the Holy Sepulchre in the future, but it did not look good. And since Cesare had come to Bethlehem, he had been carefully observing his words and actions.

He was certain that the young man was not unworthy of his reputation—he was indeed someone people could trust and place their hopes in, and he left his estate to the Knights of Bethlehem, believing that the mansions, fields and workshops would not be used for his own extravagant enjoyment or as tools for committing murder.

Whether it was the knights he used to arm himself or the knights he used to comfort the poor pilgrims, it was exactly what Bishop Andre and his nephew desired.

Bishop Andrei's thoughts were not kept from others.
This was good news for the people of Bethlehem and the surrounding area, and they were overjoyed—after all, they had learned from Cyprus that their lord was not a greedy man, and those who served the bishops could rest assured that they would not be subjected to harsher rule, nor would they have to worry about being sold or mortgaged—their lives would continue as before, or perhaps even improve.

But in another place, a worried crowd had gathered.

This is the Synagogue of Isaac in Bethlehem.

Whether Christian, Saracen, or even Turkic, anyone who had a lord like Cesar would be immensely grateful. After all, for those impoverished people, all they asked for was to live peacefully, have a house to live in, food to eat, and the ability to reproduce—that was all.

But for the Isaacs, a tyrant might be preferable to a lord, given the countless tyrants they had encountered throughout their millennia-long history. In other words, even if a wise and enlightened ruler were to ascend the throne, he would eventually become irritable due to their continued exploitation.

They understood the nature and thoughts of these rulers well and knew how to control and utilize this terrible power—although they had capsized several times, they still firmly believed that their approach was absolutely correct.

This view seems to have reached a consensus among their people: what does it matter if the lord is tyrannical, since they are not the ones who suffer anyway? They can take the opportunity to become the lord's whip and club, and take the chance to torture those Christians who once looked down on them, drove them away, or even killed them.

They've always been happy to do these things, even knowing their fate won't be good. But so what? Even if they didn't do them, would their fate be any better? They'd still end up as fat pigs waiting to be slaughtered by the rulers, or scapegoats used to quell public anger.

For them, a lord like Cesare was the hardest for them to accept. So what if he could treat Christians, Saracens, Turks and Isaacs equally?
The Isaacs never wanted equality. His reforms in taxation and coinage only fueled their despair.

This law has not yet been implemented in Bethlehem, but it is only up to Cesar. What if the Venetians feel that there are not enough positions in Cyprus for them to fill?
With that Venetian woman urging them on, their lord would surely go along with it. What would they do then?
If Bishop Andrei and Cesar were at odds, they might still have a chance to sow discord, but these two have acted amicably from the beginning—and now Bishop Andrei is even more willing to relinquish his share of power ahead of schedule…

They could vaguely sense the immense pressure that had already taken shape. Their lord was simply too upright; he wouldn't tolerate deception, extortion, or blackmail—just look at the gold coins he minted.

To be honest, as long as Cesar still has Cyprus and Bethlehem, what unforgivable thing would it be if the gold coins he minted were not pure, were not the same size, or had different weights?
Do merchants dare to refuse people spending this money on their land?

His current financial shortage is only temporary. When a lord inherits a new territory, there will inevitably be all sorts of seemingly endless expenses. Once the system is up and running and starts giving him returns, will he still lack gold and silver?
By then, the coins he minted would likely become new Roman gold coins, which the Isaacs might tolerate, as they would be unable to use some of their previous methods of making money from these coins.

But they also don't want to see a currency become universally accepted—how many Isaacs are already engaged in the currency exchange business?

What's the point of currency exchange if there's a currency that can circulate freely among everyone? Besides, they heard that this lord also seemed to be involved in currency exchange—they were mistaken; Cesar's intention was the same as a bank, where his people could exchange worn, damaged, or deformed currency with the institutions he had established—but even so, the Isaacs were not happy.

They always felt indignant when they were expelled from their usual professions (such as farming, weaving, and handicrafts), but now their complaints seem more like whining without cause—the Isaacs would absolutely not want to go back to being craftsmen and farmers.

For the Isaacs, the only industries they could operate in were lending and finance, which they considered their exclusive domain. Anyone who dared to dabble in these areas would be ruthlessly cut off.

“We cannot continue to endure this,” said the wise man of Bethlehem. “We must think of a way.”

“What can we do? He doesn’t like pretty women or cute boys, and he doesn’t care much for money—isn’t that right? When he was still a servant, he gave alms to the entire road of Arazari.”

He seemed to enjoy eating, but how much could food cost? Besides, the food he ate wasn't particularly expensive. On his table, one rarely saw delicacies like swans, wild boars, or narwhals. He wasn't particularly fond of spices, and as for sugar and honey... damn it, Cyprus is the origin of rock sugar.

He wasn't a drunkard—a weakness seen in many knights—what an annoying fellow. "Someone said, and all the Isaacs in the synagogue nodded in agreement.

"But he must have had weaknesses. Even Samson had flaws that he could never change. He was just a mortal, and he must have had weaknesses."

"His weakness might be that he's too sentimental, like a woman."

"Who knows if it's true or false."

“Indeed,” one of the Isaacs replied, “I can assure you that he has a sore spot, but it’s not on himself.”

"So what if we know? Are we going to build an army to attack Holy Cross Fortress or Cyprus?"

"Of course not, perhaps we can hire the Assassins."

"The divine favor he has gained... I'm afraid even the Assassins couldn't guarantee they could kill him..."

"It may not be us... Gentlemen... We are Isaacs, not those reckless Christian knights—does he really not have a single enemy?"

(End of this chapter)